Csem Centre Suisse D'electronique Et De Microtechnique Sa

Csem Centre Suisse D'electronique Et De Microtechnique Sa&#x2014;recherche Et D&#xe9;veloppement

Basf Se Corporation

Surys

Marc Schnieper

Alexander Stuck

Harald Walter

Hans Reichert

Michelle Richert

Thomas Bolle

Guillaume Basset

Jürgen Söchtig

Igor Zhurminsky

Luc Dümpelmann

Christian Zschokke

Michael De Wild

Roger Krähenbühl

Romy Linda Marek

Benjamin Gallinet

Vincent Jean Sauvage

Angélique Luu-dinh

Marcel Estermann

Jasmin Waser

Christian Schneider

David Kallweit

A tamper seal includes an optical waveguide arranged to guide a propagating light-beam along a propagation direction. First and second portions of the tamper seal are configured to be arranged on first and second parts, respectively, which are movable relative to each other. The first portion has an input coupler arranged to couple incident light into the optical waveguide, and the second portion has at least one output coupler arranged to couple out of the optical waveguide at least partially light guided in the optical waveguide. The input coupler, the optical waveguide, and the output coupler are configured to transmit light from the input coupler to the output coupler. The waveguide is configured to be disruptable and includes a layer having a distinctive appearance that is changed in response to an at least partial disruption of said optical waveguide.

Lightguide tamper seal

A tablet for pharmaceutical use has on at least one part of its surface a diffractive microstructure which generates diffraction effects which can be perceived in the visible spectral range and which serve as visual safety feature. The tablet includes a plurality of individual powder particles, where the diffractive microstructures are impressed into the surface of the individual powder particles. A compression tool to produce such tablets has on one pressing surface of the compression tool micro-structures, where the microstructures have dimensions which are smaller than the dimensions of the individual crystallites of the material of the pressing surface of the compression tool. The micro-structures of the compression tool can be produced for example by ion etching or by imprinting.

Pharmaceutical tablets with diffractive microstructure and compression tools for producing such tablets

The present invention is in the field of security documents, more particularly in the field of security elements aimed to protect security documents against copying (illegal reproduction) and counterfeiting. It discloses a security element having a security feature which changes its visual appearance after irradiation with light, especially with UV light and at rotation and/or tilting. Security documents comprising said security element, as well as a method for producing said security element, are also disclosed.

Security element

A sensor which reacts on influences from an environment. The sensor includes a zero-order diffractive color filter. The zero-order diffractive color filter includes a high-index waveguide layer, a zero-order diffractive grating structure and a layer of an reactive material, wherein the reactive material is in contact with the environment and wherein the reactive material changes its optical properties upon interaction with the environment. The reactive material is embedded in the waveguide layer and/or the reactive material is located at a maximum distance d from the waveguide layer. The distancing is effected by an intra layer having a low index of refraction.

Optical environmental sensor and method for the manufacturing of the sensor

A security device including a zero order diffractive microstructure buried within a substrate. One or more optical structures, such as microlenses, may be formed on a surface of the substrate. The optical structures modify the optical characteristics of the zero order diffractive microstructure. Various alternatives or additional optical structures and methods of producing the security device are described in additional embodiments.

Security device with a zero-order diffractive microstructure

A security Device comprises a zero order diffractive microstructure () buried within a substrate (). One or more further optical structures, such as microlenses (), may be formed on a surface () of the substrate (). The further optical structures modify the optical characteristics of the zero order diffractive microstructure (). Various alternatives or additional optical structures and methods of producing them are described in additional embodiments.

Security Device with a zero-order diffractive microstructure

A security device comprises a zero order diffractive microstructure buried within a substrate. One or more further optical structures, such as microlenses, may be formed on a surface of the substrate. The further optical structures modify the optical characteristics of the zero order diffractive microstructure such as by enhancing or reducing the color effect produced by the zero-order diffractive microstructure upon tilting the security device.

A color image sensor has a plurality of pixels. On the pixels zero-order diffractive color filters (DCFs) () are arranged. Different zero-order DCFs (), e.g., DCFs () transmitting red, green and blue light, respectively, are allocated to the pixels of the color image sensor. The use of DCFs () for color imaging devices brings better defined band-pass or notch filters than the presently used lacquers. The DCFs () are more stable with respect to time, temperature and any environmental aggression. The manufacture of the DCF pattern is simpler and cheaper than that of a conventional dye-filter pattern, since the different types of DCFs can be manufactured simultaneously.

Color image sensor

The diffractive optical device () can be used as a security device in the fields of authentication, identification and security. It comprises a zero-order diffractive color filter (). The diffractive color filter may consist of a microstructured high-index layer () embedded between two low-index layers (). A mirror layer () for reflecting towards the diffractive color filter () at least part of light transmitted through the diffractive color filter () are provided beneath the diffractive color filter. Thanks to the mirror layer (), the device () has a much higher reflected intensity and much more complex spectra than prior-art diffractive color filters.

Diffractive optical security device

A security device comprises first zero order diffractive microstructure () on a substrate, a second zero order diffractive microstructure (), and an intermediate light transmissive layer () separating the two diffractive microstructures. The spacing (s) between the first () and second () diffractive microstructures is small enough so that optical interferences are produced between the diffractive microstructures. A further light transmissive layer () covers the second diffractive microstructure ().

Growing community of inventors

Onex-Genéve, Switzerland

Marc Schnieper